boo-boo
/ˈbuːˌbuː/
"boo-boo" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“boo-boo” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A mistake or error.
Corpus desk
Index EN-boo-boo · boo-boo · English
boo-boo · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "B" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | boo-boo |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈbuːˌbuː/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “boo-boo” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
boo-boo is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbuːˌbuː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for boo-boo in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: * Possibly from bug-a-boo, an imaginary evil goblin. * Possibly from bubo, a swollen lymph node especially obvious in sufferers of bubonic plague. * Possibly from the sound a baby or young toddler might make. * Possibly borrowed from French bobo (“boo-boo”) The correct English form is boo-boo, spelled B-O-O---B-O-O.
Definition
- 1A mistake or error.
- 2A minor injury, such as a cut or a bruise.
- 3Feces.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how boo-boo appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Oh, gosh, golly, I made a boo-boo, and I gave it to Stephen Hawking!
I been A-1 since day one, you niggas boo-boo Your home boy, your block that you're from, boo-boo Lil' hoes you went to school with, boo-boo Baby mama and your new bitch, boo-boo
Etymology
* Possibly from bug-a-boo, an imaginary evil goblin. * Possibly from bubo, a swollen lymph node especially obvious in sufferers of bubonic plague. * Possibly from the sound a baby or young toddler might make. * Possibly borrowed from French bobo (“boo-boo”)
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.